Message from the President

Our objective at The Mainichi Newspapers is the implementation of “Mainichi Journalism.” Patiently gathering news under the slogan, “There are no shortcuts to news coverage”; obtaining scoops that bring to light facts hidden deep within the realms of politics, the economy and diplomacy; launching campaigns to support and save those facing difficulties; publishing investigative reports that shed light on social problems; providing analysis to help readers understand the essence of the news; presenting useful information and various columns — “Mainichi Journalism” encompasses such diverse ideas.

The Mainichi Shimbun has been honored 30 times in the editorial division of The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association (NSK) Award — the “grand prix” for Japanese newspapers — and has continually renewed the record for the most prizes.

In fiscal 2016, the Mainichi Shimbun received an NSK Award for a series of photos titled, “Serial Earthquake in Kumamoto, Miracle Rescue,” one of which showed an 8-month-old baby being rescued from a collapsed house six hours after the earthquake. The rescue was broadcast across the world. In fiscal 2017, the Mainichi Shimbun won the award again for the second year running with a sports photo titled, “Bolt’s surprise, Japan’s first ever relay silver.” The action shot managed to capture the surprise on Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s face as he glanced over to see Japanese sprinter Aska Cambridge running next to him in the final straight of the 4×100-meter relay final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Notably, the award was also the first time for a sports photo to win in the editorial category. And in fiscal 2018, we won the prestigious award again for the third straight year for our coverage of forced sterilizations under the now-defunct eugenic protection law (1948-1996).

The Kumamoto photo was praised as “conveying the reality of the natural disaster,” while the Bolt picture was lauded as “historic,” and the eugenic law reporting was credited for “introducing a compensation mechanism for victims.” These three cases of coverage, among many others, demonstrate the true value of Mainichi Journalism.

Newspapers are required to fulfill their social mission not only as the bearers of the culture of printed media but also as essential media that respond to readers’ right to know and contribute to the formation of a healthy democratic society and as forums to spread empathy among readers.

With the rapid spread of the internet and the diversification of media, people are looking for the things that newspapers can do — and specifically, the things that only newspapers can do. Under such circumstances, the Mainichi Shimbun is determined to be a “comprehensive medium,” including digital media and engaging in various pioneering projects to carve out a path to a new era.

The Mainichi Shimbun published its 50,000th issue on Feb. 12, 2015 (for its Tokyo and Hokkaido editions), and in February 2022 will mark 150 years since its founding. The Mainichi Newspapers is determined to continue its efforts as a group of journalists, boasting the longest history among Japanese news organizations and will work to build a forum that society requires.